If history books also have a "bestseller list", then "Zi Zhi Tong Jian" is definitely a workplace survival guide and strategy textbook for ancient emperors and generals. Edited by Sima Guang of the Northern Song Dynasty, it took 19 years to write from the Warring States Period to the Five Dynasties, spanning 1362 years. It can be called "the longest TV series in Chinese history". The original intention of this book is very practical - to teach the emperor not to seek death. Sima Guang felt that running a country is like driving a car. You have to look in the rearview mirror, otherwise the car will easily overturn. So he wrote down all the successful cases and rollover scenes of the past dynasties for the leaders' reference. The original text may be obscure and boring to read. I have added some humorous elements when translating it. I hope you will be interested. "Zizhi Tongjian" is not only a history book, but also a masterpiece of political philosophy. It tells us: History will not simply repeat itself, but the logic of human nature and power will never change. Both rulers and ordinary people can draw wisdom from it - after all, only by understanding history can you better face the future; by understanding it, you understand the survival rules of Chinese history, and of course, you may also get chills down your spine.
